Linnea M.

Animals have been my greatest passion for my entire life, but wildlife quickly became my calling once I was introduced to rehabilitation. I began working in wildlife rehabilitation as I pursued my B.S. in Wildlife Biology and Rehabilitation. In working closely with my wild neighbors to provide them healing and also in living alongside them in our shared world, the anthropogenic challenges they face in living the wild lives they deserve have become evident. I work with a diverse range of species, from opossums to owls, and each wild individual I encounter has profound beauty and importance. Whether the patient is a four-gram mouse or a three-pound Red-Tailed Hawk, I view their life as infinitely precious, no matter how small. The wild animals both in rehabilitation and in the wild have taught me so much about the interconnectedness of living beings and the importance of conservation and compassion in building a more peaceful world. I believe it is my duty as a member of the human species to serve wildlife by minimizing suffering and providing healing to our wild neighbors so that they can return to their lives in the wild. The moment I began this work, I completely fell in love, and have now been rehabilitating our precious native wildlife of Western North Carolina for nearly four years. The personal caging and medical supplies I utilize outside of the facility I work for have been completely self-funded by my multiple jobs, and an incubator would greatly assist my work in keeping the wild babies warm and healthy. Wildlife means the entire world to me, and my work in rehabilitation, providing healing to our precious native wildlife, is what brings meaning to my life.